How To Become a Healthcare Administrator
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Overview

What Is a Healthcare Administrator?

A healthcare administrator directs and manages the mission and daily operation of a healthcare facility or a specific healthcare department. Healthcare administrators may also be called medical and health services managers or healthcare executives.(See disclaimer 1) They are responsible for developing the vision and goals of the facility or department and for implementing the policies necessary to achieve those goals.

Healthcare administrators can specialize. Some examples include nursing home administrators, clinical managers and health information managers.(See disclaimer 1)

25%

Approximate portion of U.S. healthcare spending attributed to healthcare administration(See disclaimer 2)

What Does a Healthcare Administrator Do?

Healthcare administrators are tasked with planning and directing the activities of a healthcare department or facility. They plan and coordinate the daily operations of the practice or clinical area with the goal of improving patient care, safety and outcomes while optimizing workflow efficiency and cost-effectiveness. A healthcare administrator’s job adapts to meet the changing needs of the regulatory environment and the potential offered by emerging healthcare technologies.

A healthcare administrator who manages an entire healthcare facility or a specialty medical practice may have broad oversight and many areas of responsibility, from hiring to budgeting to compliance. Those who manage individual departments may have a narrower scope of responsibility. 

Some of their specific tasks include:

Objectives

Healthcare administrators develop the vision and goals for the facility or department.

Policies

They create and implement policies to achieve the facility’s objectives.

Regulations

These professionals ensure the facility or department is in compliance with current regulations.

Budgets

Healthcare administrators prepare budgets and track expenditures.

Staffing

They recruit, hire, train and supervise staff members.

Records

These administrators maintain records pertaining to healthcare services.

Education

What Healthcare Administrator Education Requirements and Experience Are Needed?

The education and work experience requirements for how to become a healthcare administrator can vary significantly from one facility to the next. It’s typical for a bachelor’s degree to be the minimum academic requirement, although some employers require or prefer a graduate degree.(See disclaimer 3) Work experience in a relevant clinical or non-clinical role is also customary.(See disclaimer 3)

Best Degrees for Healthcare Administrators

To fulfill the healthcare administrator education requirements, future professionals are best served by choosing a major that explores business-related topics through a healthcare lens. Healthcare administrators may have an academic background that emphasizes competencies such as hospital management and organization, health information systems, accounting, health services management and medical terminology.(See disclaimer 3)

Relevant degrees will typically cover the following topics:

Accounting and billing for healthcare

Health information technology

Healthcare quality metrics

Organizational management

Strategic planning and management

Regulatory compliance in healthcare

GCU Recommends These Degree Programs for Healthcare Administrators

420 Matching Degrees
A doctor in a white coat reviews information on a laptop with a smiling healthcare administrator in business attire inside a clinical setting.
Skills

What Skills Does a Healthcare Administrator Need?

An aspiring healthcare administrator needs strong business skills within a healthcare context,(See disclaimer 3) such as the application of organizational behavior and management to a healthcare facility. It’s helpful for administrators and health services managers to have a blend of soft and hard skills as they lead teams and evaluate policies.(See disclaimer 3)

Important skills for healthcare administrators include:(See disclaimer 3, 5)

Effective communication

Leadership

Technological literacy

Attention to detail

Analytical skills

Financial management

Careers

Where Do Healthcare Administrators Work?

Healthcare administrators work in a range of different healthcare settings. These professionals are essential wherever complex systems require strong leadership, coordination and strategic decision-making.(See disclaimer 6)

Some of the work settings for healthcare administrators include:(See disclaimer 6)

Hospitals

About 29% of healthcare administrators work in hospitals.

Outpatient care centers

Outpatient care centers can include specialty practices, such as rehabilitation centers.

Physician offices

Administrators may manage a physician’s office or a larger medical practice for a group of physicians.

Nursing homes

Nursing home administrators may manage everything from admissions to building maintenance to resident care.

$117,960

Median annual salary for medical and health services managers as of May 2024(See disclaimer 7)

23%

Projected job growth rate for medical and health services managers from 2024 through 2034(See disclaimer 8)

A healthcare administrator sits at a desk and speaks on a phone while working on a laptop in an office.

Advancement Opportunities Within Healthcare Administration

There are potential advancement opportunities within healthcare administration, particularly for administrators who acquire additional career credentials, such as a graduate degree. Some administrators achieve advancement by expanding their job responsibilities, such as becoming responsible for managing the hospital’s information systems. Others may pursue a position as a top-level healthcare executive.(See disclaimer 3)

Blog Articles

Explore More on Healthcare Administration

Further discover the healthcare administration field as you reflect on this career option. Explore the following blog articles to learn more about becoming a healthcare administrator.

A healthcare professional in a white coat speaks with a woman in business attire across a reception counter in a modern hospital.
5 Traits for Effective Hospital Administrators

Discover some important personal characteristics for aspiring healthcare administrators, including ethical judgment.

Read Article
Two colleagues sit at a desk in an office discussing work on a computer, with one person using a wheelchair, highlighting collaboration and inclusivity in a healthcare administration workplace.
Top Healthcare Administration Careers

Explore some career possibilities within the healthcare administration field and get some tips for your job search.

Read Article
A group of healthcare professionals reviews data on a tablet during a meeting, with charts visible on the screen to support decision-making.
Healthcare Management vs. Healthcare Administration

Learn about the key differences between healthcare administration and healthcare management, including the roles and responsibilities.

Read Article
A smiling healthcare administrator stands in a clinic exam room with medical equipment in the background.
Advance Your Healthcare Career Skills

Begin your path toward pursuing a career in the healthcare administration field.

Apply Now
  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025, Aug. 28). What Medical and Health Services Managers Do. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved April 2026.
  2. Sahni, N.R., Istvan, B., & Thornhill, H.B., et al. (2025, May 22). Availability of Consistent, Reliable and Actionable Public Data on U.S. Hospital Administrative Expenses. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved April 2026.
  3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025, Aug. 28). How To Become a Medical or Health Services Manager. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved April 2026.
  4. Illinois Career Information System. (n.d.). Health Services Administrators - Helpful High School Courses. Illinois Department of Employment Security. Retrieved April 2026.
  5. Indeed Editorial Team. (2025, Nov. 19). Healthcare Administration Skills (Plus How to Improve Them). Indeed. Retrieved April 2026.
  6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025, Aug. 28). Medical and Health Services Managers: Work Environment. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved April 2026.
  7. The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Medical and Health Services Managers, as of May 2024, retrieved April 2026. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as medical and health services managers, nor does it reflect the earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It is very unlikely that a median salary will reflect an entry-level salary. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc. against a pool of candidates.
  8. COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective August 2025, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical and Health Services Managers, retrieved April 2026.
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